Spoiled Beauty...And Maybe Unspoiling It?

  Namibia is an absolutely beautiful country.  It truly is.  I'm sure anyone whose seen the photos I've been posting will agree.  I love walking around my town, snapping photos or just appreciating the beauty.  I am at re-connect, and while there have been some issues with the hotel they have us staying at (the bar closing at 7:30 and the food being most notable), one thing I like about this place is the view.  The mountains, the vast plains, etc.  It is quite aesthetically pleasing.  When I went to the coast, I drove through the Namib desert and made my way to the Atlantic Coast.  Even in Grootberg, the scenery was lovely.

My new place in Khorixas

The view from the training center where re-connect was held

Sun rising on another beautiful African day

  So, why am I bringing this stuff up when I have already posted pictures that paint a better story than my words ever could?  Because of last night.  After my sessions ended, I went for a short walk.  Far off the main road, in a large open grassy view, something shinny caught my eyes.  I'm sure in many of my photos, something red was quite noticeable too.  One thing that truly spoils the beauty of any country is the trash, and in Namibia, it's everywhere.

  Now, I realize this is the case everywhere in the world.  And if this was just a matter of whining about litter, there would be a waste of time.  This is more of a segway into me giving a brief explanation of the current politics of my town.  Khorixas is a town.  That's its official designation.  As such, in has a local constituency/authority/town council (I've heard it called different things).  It is a town of about 5,500-6,500, depending on the year, the time of year, etc.  And the government is headed by the United Democratic Front party.  This is a bit of an issue, since the national government is run by the South West African People's Organization party. Now, before I get in trouble, I am NOT about to voice any opinion about either parties, and I will try to keep all value judgments out of this.  First of all, I haven't been here long enough.  Second, because it runs the risk of undermining my position in the community, Peace Corps doesn't allow it.  What I want to mention is the interesting situation in my town (which, according to a rumor, may have seen a big change in the week I've been gone).

  One downside of UDF being in power here is that they do not get along with SWAPO.  Unfortunately, since SWAPO controls the national government, the result of this is my town often gets less funding.  As a town, the local government is supposed to have certain responsibilities, one of them being picking up trash, but since we don't get as much money, a number of these services fall by the wayside, trash pick-up seeming to be one of them.  In order to fix this situation, there's a movement to have our town downgraded to a village, in which case the national government would be responsible, meaning SWAPO wouldn't be denying us money for political reasons.  Of course, it would also mean losing some infrastructure we enjoy and the UDF is in power here is because that's who the people support.  As more developments arise, I will keep people posted.

  Of course, beyond the politics impacting the situation, there is the reality.  Trash is a major problem, all over Namibia.  In the north, people burn their trash because there's no other way to get rid of it. They do the same in many villages in the south. In towns, like mine, there's supposed to be some sort of pick up, but it's not very reliable and the cans overflow.  In some of the bigger cities, it's better, and there are even recycling programs, but people still often don't know about it or use it because they're too new.  The solution of many PCVs I've met is funding creative ways to reuse their trash (remember the 3 Rs?).  Recycling is a hard change to sparks. Reduction is seemingly impossible, with all the bags that you accumulate everywhere. But finding new uses for things helps reduce the trash.  There's the obvious. I am using small plastic bottles as storage for hot sauce. Larger bottles make good planters for pepper plants. Coffee cans can become plant pots or storage. Water bottles with squirt tops, like Powerade type bottles, are good for kitchen oil.  Ice cream tubs become Tupperware. The plastic wrap from vegetables can be reused. Egg cartons make fire starters. And plastic bags can be used to make soccer balls (there are some pics on Facebook of kids playing with them, and I even have made a few of my own) or handbags, as my fellow PCV, Amy, has become fond of doing.  There are many more, and I may consider making a periodic segment here on creative trash crafts from my friends.

50+ plastic bags found a far more productive use than they otherwise would've

  Oh, and if you think the political situation in my town is interesting, the Caprivi region in Namibia no longer exists.  Last week, a number of changes were made to the map of Namibia.  Karas Region is now the !Karas Region, a nod to the Damara/Nama who live there.  The Kavango is being split into 2 regions, for several reasons that I won't get into right now.  The Caprivi was re-named the Zambezi Region, after the large river that runs through it, the idea being that it probably makes more sense than naming it after a man who my supervisor describes as "a brutal oppressor."  Finally, the town of Lüderitz is now ǂNaminus, the original name for the area before the Germans colonized it.  For more info on these changes, I direct you to the following links:

New Era: http://www.newera.com.na/articles/53580/President-divides-Kavango-into-two
The Namibian: http://www.namibian.com.na/indexx.php?id=2297&page_type=story_detail

  On a separate note, no, you cannot give me money directly to support any of my projects.  Peace Corps has made it clear that it's not allowed.  If you're interested in any of my projects (keep reading, since my first self-designed project might be coming to fruition, as I will write about sometimes next week), you can give me materials.  You can also donate to my through a Peace Corps Partnership Program (if I apply for any of these, I will send you the link).

  One thing I'll say about life in the Peace Corps is that it's the little things.  There's more to this, as you will be reading about one of these days.  But there are a number of days when I am just absolutely miserable, or lonely, or stressed, or everything is going wrong, or I'm feeling particularly singled out, but the littlest things will cheer me up and make my day.  There will be a couple stories for this, both my own and that of a friend (if she approves), but for anyone interested in the Peace Corps, just know that there will be tough days, and they will be brightened by the littlest things, and every night, when I see the stars in Khorixas, no matter how awful my day's been, I'm reminded why I came here and why I love my job and how lucky I am to be living out my dream.

  So, keep reading.  My soccer program seems to be solidifying, as you will be reading about shortly. Khawa Mugus. !Gai tsesa u ha re.